The College News
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VOL. XXI, No. 3
BRYN MAWR AND WAYNE, PA., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1934
?o.>yiight BHYN MAWR
COLLEGE NKWS, 1984
PRICE 10 CENTS
Theory of Atomists
Gives Opportunities
, for Varied Criticism
Dr. Veitmann Uses Integration
of Infinitesimals as Escape
from Dilemma
ELEMENTS ARE RELATED
AS ENTITIES TO WHOLE
The universe must be made up of
least, or smallest, parts or it will re-
duce itself to zeros. The Atomists
were faced with this dilemma, said
Dr. Veitmann, speaking in the Com-
mon Room on Thursday, October 25,
because they did not realize that there
was still a third way to explain nat-
ural phenomena.
The escape from the unhappy al-
ternative which faced the Atomists
lies in the possibility"^ conceiving the
world as an integration of infinitesi-
mals. These infinitesimals are differ-
ential ratios of functional changes.
They correspond neither to atoms nor
to zeros, but are fluctuations between
being and non-being. Contrary to the
independent atoms, these entities de-
pend on each other. An infinitesimal
divorced from a system, or unrelated
to the whole, has absolutely no mean-
ing.
To have the elements of the world
relational entities in a systematic
whole is a necessary conception when
one considers the defectiveness of the
old material arguments. The Atom-
ists stated that everything which is
complex must be derived from ulti-
mate simples. This statement can only
retain its validity if complexity and
simplicity are absolute and unequi-
vocal attributes of reality. It has
�been proved, however, that these so-
called attributes are relative and can-
not be absolutized. We canot imagine
a maximum complexity of simplicity
any more than a maximum hardness
or softness.
In postulating the existence of emp-
ty spaces, the Atomists not only -ig-
nored the possibility of light and elec-
tro-magnetism, but they transcended
human experience. Their space was
an abstraction of the extension that
was attributejL^o material objects.
They had to postulate this void in
order to meet the problem that arose
from their conviction that space was
necessary to motion. This problem
Continued on Page Five
Vocational Tea *$
Miss Dorothy Kahn, Director
of the Federal Emergency Relief
in Philadelphia, will speak on
College Women in Public Serv-
ice in the Common Room Friday,
November 2, at 4.30. All those
who are interested are cordially
invited to attend. Special invi-
tations could be sent only to
those who had signed on the lists
last year. Miss Kahn will speak
informally. Tea will be served
at quarter past four.
Lecture Recital Given
By Mr. Guy Marriner
Music Is Emphasized as Means
of Evoking Subconscious
and Intuition
CLASSICAL IS ART MUSIC
Support for Democrats ,
Urged by Mrs. Manning
Now is the time to support the Ad-
ministration, if it is to do anything
constructive in the next two years.
The coming election is therefore of
"enormous importance and gre.at fu-
ture significance," as Dean Manning
said in chapel on Tuesday, October
twenty-third.
News from Washington shows thai
the Democratic victory is taken for
granted there. But The Literary Di-
gest poll shows a decided swing away
from the Administration. Nothing is
to be gained by defeating the Demo-
crats; the Republicans have no pro-
gram, and lack of support in Congress
would simply tie the President's hands
and keep the country marking time, or
worse, for two years.
The Administration's aim reaches
farther than an immediate return to
prosperity, and is based on a desire to
develop constructive, clear thinking
about economics throughout the coun-
try.
The failure of the NRA, as well as
of the Agricultural and Monetary pro-
grams, is more a matter of rumor
than a case of fact. The Administra-
tion is suffering from its own excellent
publicity, which caused the citizens,
tremendously interested in what was
going on, to expect immediate recov-
ery.
As one who intends to support the
Democratic ticket, Dean Manning be-
lieves that the President has brought
business out of a state of anarchy and
deliberate misleading, and that in-
stead of re-establishing the old system
that had failed, he is intellectually
interested in experimenting until he
can found a new age of economies.
"A knowledge of music will enable
you to interpret your work and your
lives as nothing else in the universe
can do," said Guy Marriner, in open-
ing his six week series of lecture-re-
citals on the pianoforte music of the
three preceding centuries in the Dean-
ery Tuesday afternoon. He went on
to emphasize that "music has always
been a means of arousing human emo-
tions and of evoking without restric-
tions the intuition and the subcon-
scious."
In other countries throughout the
centuries music has been an intrinsic
part of every man's daily life. It
brings about a regeneration of the
heart and a desire for sympathetic
communion that are among the noblest
pleasures of life. Music should be
not a recreation, but a Re-creation.
Piano music is the most universal
form of tonal art and its literature is
the largest. Although it lacks much
that other instruments provide, it is
the only essential solo instrument, and
it far surpasses the voice and violin
in range of melody and concurrent
harmonies.
Music changes in form and style
to meet the spiritual and aesthetic
needs of each generation. At the end
of the 16th century instrumental dance
music in the suite form was popular.
Even when these became more ab-
stract the rhythm of the dance domi-
nated them. In the early 18th cen-
tury, after the development of the
clavichord, the Italian sonata had be-
come a formal structure whose es-
sence was technique. Scarlatti, born
two years before Bach, composed the
best sonatas, which are generally all
in one movement, divided into two
main parts. In the Pastorale and
the Capriccio, the great virtuoso's
neat, pianistic style and fanciful
freshness can easily be seen.
Classical is that which stands the
lest of time, that which is Art music
as opposed to the tuneful music of
the people. One can always tell
through one's inner consciousness mu-
sic that has been written with the
life-blood of the Masters who heard,
tested, rewrote, and polished the mu-
sic of the spheres. In this whirlwind
century of steel it is even harder for
sensitive' souls to pierce our material-
ization and release their genius.
Therefore we cannot judge the clas-
sical music of our times, for it must
not only endure the test of time, but
must transmit into music the essence
of the souls of this generation.
The Classical Era extends from
Bach through Handel, Haydn, Mozart,
to Beethoven. Brahms was a Roman-
tic-classicist. The composers dealt
with in the first three lectures are all
of the classic Era, whose dominating
spirit lies in form, technique, artistry,
craftsmanship, the impersonal and
the abstract.
The important thing to remember
about Handel is his profound influence
on the English public and the Eng-
lish creative genius in music up to our
own century. His oratorios revolu-
tionized English morals by inspiring
reverence and awe in place of the
usual obscenity of the day. His gran-
deur and formality bred a love of
ceremony and a respect for convention
that eventually helped to produce the
Continued from Page Two
Calendar ' .
Thursday, November 1. Dr.
Veitmann. 5.00 P. M. Common
Room.
Thursday, November 1. Play-
ers' Club presents two one-act
plays: Riders to the Sea and
The Twelve-Pound Look. 8.20
P. M. Goodhart.
Friday, November 2. Miss
Kahn on College Women in Pub-
lic Service. 4.30 P. M. Com-
mon Room.
Saturday, November 3. Var-
stty Hockey Game with Merion
.Cricket Club. 10.00 A. M.
Sunday, November 4. Sunday
Evening Service conducted by
Bishop Reifsnider. 7.30 P. M.
Music Room.
Monday, November 5. Second
Team Hockey vs. Germantown
Cricket Club. 4.30 P. M.
Mrs. Vera Micheles Dean on
Dictatorship on Trial. 8.20 P. M.
Goodhart.
Tuesday, November 6. Mr.
Guy Marriner. Second Lecture-
Recital. French Music of the
XVIII Century: Papa Haydn,
Mozart, the Gallant Knight;
Lecture on Classicism, the So-
nata Form. 5.00 P. M. Dean-
ery.
Wednesday, November 7. The
House of Rothschild, with
George Arliss. 8.00 P. M. Good-
hart.
Miss Ely's Speech
Rouses Enthusiasm
Personal Contact. Is Necessary
to Official Understanding
of Popular Needs
INERTIA AMONG VOTERS
Summer School Gives
Stimulating Schedule
English, Economics and History
Are the Subjects Featured
Among Courses
RECREATION STRESSED
(Especially contributed by Eleanor
Fabyan, 'S6, and Agnes
. Halsey, 'SB)
The Bryn Mawr Summer School is
the parent organization of several
American summer schools, which exist
to give to industrial and domestic
workers a better perspective through
which they may deal more effectively
with their problems and responsibili-
ties as members of an industrial com-
munity. In 1921 the aim of the Bryn
Mawr school was stated as follows:
"To offer young women in in-
dustry opportunities to study lib-
eral subjects and to train them-
selves in clear thinking; to stim-
ulate an active and continued in-
terest in the problems of our eco-
nomic order; to develop a desire
for study as a means of under-
standing and of enjoyment of life.
The school is not committed to
any theory or dogma. It is con-
ducted in a spirit of impartial
inquiry, with freedom of discus-
sion and teaching. Thus the stu-
dents should gain a truer in-
sight into the problems of indus-
try and feel a more vital respon-
sibility for their solution."
The six weeks' term is so short thai
the required subjects must be few and
closely related. Economics and Eng-
lish are featured and pertinent Hjs-
tory is taught under one or both of
these heads.
Each girl is assigned to a group
with which she studies throughout the
term. A group includes not more than
twenty girls, an Economics instructor,
a History instructor, an assistant, and
an undergraduate representative.
There are few formal lectures. Near-
ly all classes are conducted as round
table discussions, permitting the in-
structor to emphasize his points with
examples from immediate experience.
This method also gives the students a
chance to benefit from each other's
problems and solutions.
Music, Art, Dramatics, and Science
are elective. Last summer, lectures
on the History of Music with piano il-
lustrations were given by a brilliant
young pianist from New Zealand,�
Mr. Guy Marriner (who is now giving
a series of concerts at the Deanery).
The Science instructor set up exhib-
its in Room E, which were, in a mod-
est way, reminiscent of the Franklin
Continued on Page Six
"Friends, I'm used to having a
hand!" declared Miss Gertrude Ely in
mock indignation after the students
assembled in the Music Room of Good-
hart Hall on Thursday morning had
greeted her appearance with the dig-
nified silence customary in chapel.
Thereupon, the audience, realizing it
was participating in a political rally
rather than a religious service, burst
into applause that was more than sat-
isfactory.
Although Miss Ely is the Democrat-
ic candidate for Pennsylvania State
Senator, she did not mention the Dem-
ocratic plank at all. Instead, she em-
phasized the necessity for people of
all parties to be in personal contact
with their political representatives.
She considers it of equal importance
that the politician maintain contact
with the men and women he is repre-
senting, not only for reasons of state,
but also for personal enjoyment and
education.
"What a difference having a hand
makes!" said Miss Ely, for by the sort
of applause which welcomes her she
is enabled to know her audiences.
There are other means of identifica-
tion, too. For instance, in the Penn-
sylvania Dutch counties, the first ten
rows of seats are usually unoccupied,
while there is a crowd standing behind
the last row. Colored people crowd
to the front in their eagerness to miss
nothing. Every county has its own
peculiarities, and the experience of
learning these things is ample reward
to a candidate even if he loses his
fight.
"I suppose I'm the first candidate
you've ever seen," continued Miss Ely,
"and so this is a worth-while experi-
ence for you, too." For it is very,
very important that the voter should
know for whom he is voting. Such
knowledge is especially requisite in
a State like Pennsylvania, where then-
is an overwhelming majority of one
party. This party grows fat on its
power (Miss Ely's opponent weighs
three hundred pounds) and lazily re-
fuses to make an effort toward un-
derstanding its supporters and their
interests even in campaign time. Dur-
ing legislative sessions, as many bills
as possible, whether important or not,
are discarded in the committees in
order to make less work for the
Senate.
This inertia exists in the minority
party also. The few Pennsylvania
Democrats are so hopelessly outnum-
bered, that the most violent action of
which they are capable might seem
useless. A little while ago, there was
only one Democrat in this State for
every eight Republicans. Now, how-
ever, conditions have slightly improv-
ed, and the opposition shows its con-
sciousness of this improvement by get-
ting out and working a little harder
than usual for the election.
The proof that her opponents arc
busy, Miss Ely thinks, is that she \t
being talked about a great deal. In
popular tap-rooms great cards have
been posted, warning the wary not to
vote for Gertrude Ely because sh<- is
a Prohibitionist! She can do her own
talking as well, however. "Ely for
State Senator" signs are hung in all
possible places. One of these signs
had the misfortune to be on the rear
of a truck that was forced to stop by
the side of the road on account of
motor trouble. A witty Republican
lady, driving by, leaned out of her au-
tomobile and called to the truckman,
Continued on Page Four
Dr. Wells Discusses
Good and Bad Sides
of Modern Germany
Nazi Claims of Internal Peace,
Restoring of Proud Ideals,
Held to be True
�m
Fencing Match
Mr. Fiems, fencers from Phil-
adelphia and from the College
will give an exhibition fencing
match on Thursday, November
1, at 8.00 P. M., in the gymnas-
ium. Everyone is cordially in-
vited to attend.
ANTI-SEMITIC POLICY,
INJUSTICE CRITICIZED
There are so many contradictions,
so much good, so much bad, so many
lofty ideals, so many base practices in
modern Germany that the state of af-
fairs may well be called the Riddle of
the Third Reich, said Dr. Roger H.
Wells in his discussion of conditions in
Germany, delivered last Monday as the
first of the Anna Howard Shaw lec-
ture series on current political and
economic conditions. Dr. Wells' dis-
cussion was made possible by his par-
ticipation in a trip to Germany last
summer, made by fifty American pro-
fessors under the auspices ,of the Ger-
man government, in order to inspect
the economic situation "with open
eyes, open ears, and open hearts."
The National Socialists claim that
they have relieved unemployment, cre-
ated internal peace and outward unity,
given back to the German people ideals
and pride in themselves and in their
country, given land to the peasants
and equality and self-respect to the
workers, and, in short, lifted up a
stricken people. Their claims in these
respects are, on the whole, true, but
it is also true that they have adopted
a racial policy which is unscientific in
theory and barbarous in practice, that
they have practically abolished free-
dom of thought, of speech, and of the
press, and that they are still governed
rather by personal caprice than by
law.
The clues to the riddle of the Third
Reich lie in the history of the past
fifteen years, in answer to the ques-
tion: why did the system of govern-
ment obtaining from 1918 to 1933 fail?
There are three reasons why it failed:
the first lies in the impact of the de-
pression on Germany, and here it may
be noted that what has happened in
Germany has had its counterpart in
events elsewhere which were caused by
the depression; the second lies in the
inability of the politically inexperienc-
ed German people to deal with the po-
litically complicated system of govern-
ment existing during those years; and
the third reason may be found in the
provisions of the Versailles treaty,
which was a Carthaginian peace for
Germany. Some of the provisions
of the treaty may represent distinct
Continued on Pace Four
bishop Reifsnider
For the past two weeks the
Triennial Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church
has been in session at Atlantic
City, and clergymen and mis-
sionaries from all over the world
came to it. One of the most out-
standing of these clergymen is
the Right Reverend Charles S.
Reifsnider, D.D., Suffragan
Bishop of Northern Tokyo, who
has been able to arrange to hold
the Chapel Service at Bryn
Mawr on November fourth.
Bishop Reifsnider has spent
most of his life in the service of
the Church in Japan and knows
Japan as do few others who are
not subjects of the Mikado. In
1912 he was made President of
St. Paul's University, Tokyo,
and still holds that position, al-
though his chief work now is the
conduct of the great university
at Ikebukuro. He lived through
all the tragic scenes of the
earthquake in 1923 and render-
ed heroic services then and af-
terwards in his earnest appeals
to raise money for rebuilding St.
Luke's Hospital, Tokyo, and for
many other devastated regions.
In 1924 he was consecrated Suf-
fragan Bishop.
Bishop Reifsnider will talk
next Sunday on The Church's
Mission m Japan and has agreed
to stay for discussion in the
Common Room after the Service.